Chapter 19, Gerty and Afterward, Second Chances Summary and Analysis

In the tiny village of Gerty, a local hunter was setting traps in a field when he found a skeleton. The man called police and the following day, January 21, the sheriff of Hughes County arrived on the scene and had crime scene investigators remove the skeleton. Word traveled quickly and the detectives from Ada were able to quickly supply the coroner with dental records. The skeleton was identified as Denice Haraway. It was determined that marks on the bones were made by animals and not stab wounds. However, it was clear the skull had suffered a bullet wound. Hope was injected into the appeals process for both Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. However, it was ruled by the appeals court that the bullet wound could have occurred after death; therefore, the...